The Chauffeur

[Flack]

The boy has turned 15 1/2. He's been riding a motorcycle for a year and a half, and earlier this week, he got his driver's permit.

Old people are constantly confused because the world changes and they can't keep up. Now, I am both -- old, and confused -- and my life experiences mean nothing. "To get your permit, you need to do x, y, and z," I explain to the boy. None of those thing turned out to be true. To get your permit in Oklahoma, driver's ed (or driving school) is mandatory. Additionally, you have to show proof of school enrollment, or a GED.

For the record, when he turns sixteen, he still can't get a "normal" driver's license. There's another step now, a training license, which restricts driving time from 4:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and limits him to transporting one passenger that doesn't live with him. I didn't fully understand it, but if he gets a ticket during this period, the six months start over. And of course, each of these different licenses -- the motorcycle license, the permit, the restricted license, and the unrestricted license -- set you back at least $40.

So yeah, after 15 1/2 years, I finally have my own chauffeur. "Dad, do you need a ride to 7-11? Do you need a ride to the story? To the post office? Anywhere? An-y-where?" The passenger seat is a lot like a roller coaster ride that's being controlled by a shady drunk guy at the fair. There's a feeling that things will probably turn out okay, but the pit in the stomach never truly goes away. He's getting better each day, but it's definitely got me back into the habit of wearing my seatbelt.

[Tdarcos]

After I had my license for about two years, I used to shudder and think back on how bad I was when I first started driving, and realized I was lucky I had no idea how bad a driver I was.

[pinback]

"His driving still ain't that great." - Android Tablets